The plants made it through the couple of very cold mornings we had last week. Only two of my hydrangeas have some leaves with browned edges but everything else looks fine. Even the wisteria blooms I worried over came through the cold looking alright. We have a couple more days of cold weather coming in Tuesday and Wednesday and I am hoping everything makes it through these two days as well.
The Old Fashioned Lilacs shrubs were grow from starts from bushes that were my Grandma’s or “Nanny” as we grandchildren called her. The two little starts have now grown into very large round and tall bushes out on the bank by the road where they have been all these years. They have made it through droughts, rain soaked seasons and even ice storms that have broken them down. They now look so pretty flowering with the backdrop of the neighbors white flowering trees across the road from them.
The breezes of the wind carries the fragrance to us when we our outside and it smells divine. And the butterflies and bees flutter from bloom to bloom round the two bushes.
Every spring when they start to bloom I generally write a post about them so if you have heard it all before please excuse me.
These bushes are now forty years old and have very special meaning for me since they were started from Nanny, my Maternal Grandmas bushes.
She has been gone now for thirty five years and every time I look at them they remind me of her and of the gentle and kind woman that she was.
She helped to raise her brothers and sisters after their mother died. She knew the heartaches of life with losing a son and she had a hard life as a farmers wife and having to make things stretch to keep the family in food and clothes. She use to make me pretty little dresses from feed sack material like the one above. We grandchildren were at her home more than we were at our own homes when we were growing up. And although we must have been underfoot so many times she never said a word or sent us back home. LOL!
In fact I never remember hearing any unkind words or gossip come out of her mouth.
So when I look at these two old, large Lilac bushes they always bring a smile to my face and gladness to my heart. And so many times my mind drifts back to childhood days.
Some pass along plants are irreplaceable.
Do you have a plant that is irreplaceable to you?
Happy Gardening,
Lona
19 comments:
Lona girl .. that is a wonderful tribute to your grandmother. She must have been an exceptional woman and you were so lucky to have her in your life : )
What a wonderful gift you have from her in memories and of lilacs.
I love the smell of lilacs too .. there is nothing like them .. or of a wild rose with that intense perfume .. if we are truly lucky we have wonderful memories attached to plants like these : )
Enjoy them .. even in this wacky weather girl ! LOL
Joy
Wow Lona, what a beautiful post. You're so cute in your little "feed sack" dress. Stories like these make me feel so guilty for all the bickering I sometimes do about how hard my life is. What a blessing it must have been to have her in your life. Her/your lilacs are amazing.
Usually the lilacs are in bloom on my hubby's birthday, which is April 15th. They'll be late again this year. But worth the wait. :)
Great post!
Such a lovely tribute to a wonderful woman. When we look back at the lives of some of our grandmothers and great-grandmothers I think we should all be inspired by their stoic ability to get through hard times and still be kind and happy in their daily lives. Loved the photo of your grandmother and yourself.
I for one will never tire of your posts on those fantastic Lilacs. I wish I could see one in real life and get an idea of the perfume from those flowers. Still, I really enjoyed the shots of your blooming Lilacs today.
Lilacs are so wonderfully evocative. Thank you for sharing this beautiful memories.
Lona...your post brought tears. It must be wonderful to have those beautiful lilacs to remind you of your grandmother. We're expecting three nights of hard frosts and I'm afraid for the peonies that are all ready sporting tiny buds. I'm so excited to see them bloom and wondering if I should run out and cover them with a sheet. What to do...what to do...
May your beauties come through the next few nights without a problem.
They are lovely and know what you mean about the memory.
What a lovely memory of your grandmother. The lilacs stand as a living memorial to her. There is no better fragrance in the spring garden than the lilac.
What a lovely memory in plant form. I remember lilacs from my late elementary/middle school years when we lived in NY. What a fond childhood memory. They are hard to have here in the south, so they are only in my memory.
I remember my grandfather grew dahlias, taking care to dig them up and replant them each year. I never got to share garden chat with him.
love lilac! some people say that if you can find a 5-leave lilac flower you can
wish something.
It seems everywhere I look there are Lilacs blooming away this year, then I forget the ones that were Lilacs until the next year. They seem to be loaded with more blooms this year also. Love the old photo.
Cher Sunray Gardens
These are beautiful!! Ours are just turning green with leaves. could be some time until I can smell that smell that takes me back to my grandmother!
Such a blessing to read this post. Our mothers and grandmothers leave us so much. How wonderful that you have the joy of seeing and experiencing the fragrance of these beautiful shrubs...
I have my first lilacs now. They are small and in a container, my husband ordered them for me. What fond memories of your 'Nanny', that's what my mom was called.
What a sweet post. It almost brought tears to my eyes. Your Nanny sounds a lot like my Great-grandmother. Your lilac bushes are gorgeous, and the fact that they have these wonderful memories attached to them make them even more special.
Your grandmother sounded wonderful. Such a lovely legacy in so many ways. I'm envious of your lilac bushes, they don't grow that big here. Beautiful photos!
You asked about my columbine -- I got those seeds in a trade so I'm not sure what they are. I can save seed for you if you're interested.
The color on those lilacs is wonderful. I do not have any lilacs...don't know why, but yours are the prettiest I have ever seen. Your grandmother must be watching over them as she is you.
Lovely post, Lona. I too have many plants that are special because of family members.
Right now I have a collection of roses that are named after former kindergartners!
Oh what beautiful memories these lilac bushes bring to us both.
I have one planted in the corner of my yard that's come and gone this year but filled the air with it's lovely fragrance for days!!!
Mama had two huge bushed that totally hid the outhouse behind. One was a lighter lilac and the other was a deeper purple. They would always be in full bloom for May Day.
Mama would fill a huge basket with Mason Jars and fill those jar with an assortment of lilacs from those bushes. I would then deliver the May Basket to my always delighted teacher.
Beautiful pictures sweetie of both the lilacs and your sweet Grandma.
Have a blessed day sweetie!!! :O)
Strong Grandmothers shape us into the women we are today. I too had a wonderful amazing Grandmother, she taught me many lessons, and I appreciate her help.
Love those lilacs.
Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
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